What Do I Do if I Have an IT Emergency?
Whether you’re a small company or a large organization, an IT emergency can cost untold amounts of time and money to navigate. You may be wondering where to start in an overwhelming crisis involving a breach of security or system malfunction/failure. Here’s what you need to know in case of an IT emergency.
1. Call IT Support
Directly following an IT emergency, contact an IT support team (or your in-house IT team) who can evaluate your systems and determine what caused the crisis. Understanding what went wrong allows technology experts to create the right recovery and backup plan.
2. Public Relations Management
If consumer credit card data or the sensitive personal information of employees, consumers, or investors has been exposed, you are required by law to inform any and all individuals who may have been affected. This is undoubtedly one of the hardest steps of the process, but it must be done.
How to Issue a Public Relations Statement
If your organization has a marketing or communications team, they should handle all communication between the company and any outside parties. This includes but is not limited to:
- Press and Media
- Consumers
- Clients
- Investors
If your organization does not have a marketing or communications team, now would be the time to hire a public relations firm to help you navigate this process. They can help you craft the appropriate responses to provide information the public will seek in a professional way.
PCI Compliance
What is PCI compliance? PCI compliance, formally known as PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), is intended to protect consumer information and prevent identity theft. PCI compliance requires organizations that process credit card information to take the following steps to prevent security breaches.
- Creating and Maintaining Secure Networks
- Protecting Consumer Cardholder Data
- Utilizing Security Software and Programs
- Restricting and Controlling Access
- Routinely Monitor Security Networks
- Providing Consumers with an Information Security Policy
3. Hire an IT Team
Hiring an IT team can not only help you prevent IT emergencies and data breaches in the first place, it can help ensure you have a team of experts on your side should you have an emergency on your hands. Here are a few of the ways having an IT team on your side can make things easier in the event of an emergency.
Secure Storage
Secure storage that prevents hackers and identity thieves from accessing your information is the first step in preventing an IT emergency. PCS-MS can help is by hosting your applications and servers in our virtual data center. Our team is able to proactively manage your systems and security measures to do everything possible to prevent viruses, hackers, and other threats from infiltrating your data.
Backup and Disaster Recovery
If your organization handles medical records, personal information, or other sensitive data, the loss of documents and files can be a disaster waiting to happen. Secure cloud storage is the first step in preventing a loss of data, but if all else fails, an IT team can recover as much data as possible to save you time and money.
Need an IT Firm in Memphis?
Are you a Memphis-based organization looking for IT assistance? Contact us today to learn more about how we can serve you. Here are a few of the ways we assist our clients:
